Sunday, July 26, 2015

{featuring Jason Frazier, narrator for the series}This month I'm doing the AOTM feature a little different, I'm featuring the Author of the series as well as the narrator. Each week I will share my review for another book in the series with you, along with both an Author and Narrator Interview Q&A. Sara York and Jason Frazier were kind enough to answer a series of questions for me, so each week I will post several questions with their answers. You'll have to check back each week to see the next series of questions and answers as well as the new review for that week. There is also a great giveaway from the Author this month including a Signed paperback copy of Pray the Gay Away, book 1 in the series. And for audible fans, I'm giving away an audible copy of book 1 as well. So sit back and enjoy week 4 of July's AOTM, Sara York and her 'A Southern Thing' series!

Billy

Book 4 of A Southern Thing

Billy
Miller never thought he’d be someone’s hero. Jack had saved him when he was
seven, and Dianne had encouraged him to always be true to himself. But when
Billy meets Sawyer Fredericks, the game changes. Simple is no longer simple,
and one plus one doesn’t equal two.

Sawyer
has spent the last few years working hard to get ahead, and now it seems like
his life is on track. Then Billy walks in and Sawyer realizes that plans
sometimes change. The chemistry is good, and the emotions out of this world,
but more than just Jack and Andrew are working to keep them apart.

Once
it seem like they have it all together, fate comes in to take everything away.
Surviving takes more than just hanging tough, for Billy, it’s a life altering
decision.

Billy Miller made it through high school pretending to be someone he’s not. Fear kept Billy in the closet, so to speak, but now he’s moving to New York to live with his brother and brother in law and start college. If he can be himself anywhere, it’s New York, right? Excited and anxious to start the next phase of his life, Billy embraces college, his acting class, and being able to wear mascara and lip gloss in public without being beaten to a bloody pulp.

Sawyer Fredericks didn’t intend to get involved with anyone. His life is complicated. He has secrets and can’t afford to drag someone into the chaos when he can’t even tell them the truth. But Billy catches his eye the very first day and soon friendly smiles, conversations during classes and quiet lunches on campus turn into something more. Sawyer knows he shouldn’t pursue a relationship, but he’s enamored with Billy’s vibrancy from the start. When Billy learns Sawyers secret, will he turn away? Or embrace the man he’s falling hard for.

I was sitting in for York’s reading at GRL 2015 when she got up on stage and started talking about what she was going to read, that the character was never supposed to have a story, but he was persistent. I immediately knew she was talking about Billy and I literally squealed. I think people were starring. But seriously, who didn’t fall in love with this character in the first book in this series when he said, “I don’t think God made me right.”? And then everything that Jack endured to protect Billy’s innocence? He’s always been my favorite character in this series and I’m so happy York decided to write his story, and Crisden agreed to give him a voice.

There are a lot of highs and lows in this story, definitely keeps you on the edge of your seat. As Billy starts to slowly reveal more and more of his true nature, he worries how he will be perceived not only by Sawyer, but by his peers as well. But Billy is one tough cookie and he proves that more than once. Andrew and Jack are having issues of their own as well. Not only are they looking into adopting, but they aren’t exactly pleased with Billy’s choice in boyfriends. Billy realizes the gravity of what Jack did all those years ago to protect him, and that Jack is still just trying to protect him, but above all he wants his brother’s trust.

I knew going into this it wasn’t going to be all sunshine and roses. That wouldn’t ring true in relation to the series or the characters. Billy has to do a lot of growing up and continue to conquer fears and hurdle obstacles to find his happy ever after. And then, right when he and Sawyer think they’ve gotten everything they want. Well, it’s not quite that easy. Relationships are hard work. As hard as you think they are, you wind up wishing they were that easy. Billy and Sawyer continually grow as the story progresses, as do Jack and Andrew.

Sean Crisden took over to narrate Billy’s story, and while I questioned that decision at first, I have to say now I think it was brilliant. While Billy is an important part of the world York created four books ago, he is his own person and deserves his own voice separate from everyone else. That is exactly what Crisden did. The thing I love most about Crisden’s narration skills is how he can put so much emotion into his words. The conversations that Billy and Sawyer have as their relationship is slowly progressing could have been lost on me, or glossed over in print, but to have Crisden giving each character such precise tones, inflections and nuances really brought them to life for me.

Dramatic, emotional, passionate, fun… these are just a few words that describe this story. If you’ve been a fan of the series from the start, you know it’s not going to be an easy road for Billy. But the writing just grabs you and you become invested in the characters and will weather any storm with them while you wait to see where they will land when the dust settles. Obviously I recommend this book, this series. And while you could walk into Billy’s life without having travelled through Jack and Andrew’s stories, you will miss a lot of the back story, so I suggest started at the beginning if you haven’t.

Writing is Sara York's life. The stories fight to get out, often leaving her working on four or five books at once. She can't help but write. Along with her writing addiction she has a coffee addiction. Some nights, the only reason she stops writing and goes to sleep is for the fresh brewed coffee in the morning. Sara enjoys writing twisted tales of passion, anger, and love with a good healthy dose of lust thrown in for fun.

What is your routine
when writing? Playlist, being outside, going to the local coffee shop?

I have to have coffee,
or something else to drink to write. I try not to set too many requirements to
get to writing since some times I don’t have much time to actually write. My
family has always come first so they distract me all the time with questions
and random thoughts. If I turn my music on, it gets me into the mood fast, so
if I’m really distracted I’ll play music and shut everyone else out.

How many books have
you written? Which is your favorite?

I’ve written a few. I
think I was at around 70ish last count. I’m not really sure of the exact
number. My favorite is Not That Type of Guy. It’s not just the story, but how
deep I went into the character. I do have more than one in the favorites
category. Anything with Lane and Gresh gets a high vote, and Jack and Andrew
are special too. My first published book Murder Stalks has a special place too.
It’s kind of hard to choose with so many I really like.

Do you hear from your
readers much? What do they say?

I hear from at least
one reader a week in regards to the A Southern Thing series. It’s touched so
many people. Some times those letters are hard to read, but I’m happy that guys
and girls are comfortable with who they are.

What’s next for Sara
York?

I have a few books in
the cue. Bonded 2 is my next big book, then I have a new Texas series that will
be out in December. There are a few other books mixed in, but those are the
main things.

Sara: Thank you so much for having
me. I really enjoyed the interview.

Tams: Me too Sara, me too!

I'm sad that my Q&A with Sara has come to an end, but now I get to post my Q&A with the narrator for Billy, Mr. Sean Crisden!

Bio:Sean Crisden is a multitalented actor and a two-time AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator who has recorded audiobooks in almost every genre, from science fiction to romance. He has also voiced characters in numerous video games, such as the award-winning ShadowGun, and appeared in many commercials and films, including The Last Airbender. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sean now resides in Phoenix, Arizona.

> Hi Sean, and thank you for agreeing to stop by and answer a few questions for me today. I have to tell you, I am such a fan of your work, I jumped for joy when Sara told me you were going to be voicing our beloved Billy! So, let's start with what brought you to the business of Narrating in the first place?I was a wealthy playboy/cowboy/bad-boy who was hurt so many times that I knew I could never love again, until I met... Oh wait, we're talking about me and not a character. Ooooh. Well, as the legend goes I was in corporate middle management by day and a rock band by night. I happened to be offered an opportunity to do some casual voice work in between and it was like getting a delightful slap in the face. My creative soul was withering in the confines of the office and the very idea that somebody would be foolish enough to pay me to tell stories or make funny voices all day seemed like a dream gig to me. I tend to be quite ambitious and driven for things that I want, so like a tenacious lil' foo foo dog I set my sights, bit in and held on for dear life. For some reason folks seem to like what I do and I'm just as happy as a clam that's...happy.

> How do you manage to capture the essence of the characters you read? I've listened to a lot of your audios and I'm always amazed by how you manage to convey exactly what the author envisioned for the characters. Do you read the books prior to voicing? Audiobook narration, particularly character driven stories, is about acting. It also entails being able to fit comfortably in the role of storyteller. Matching the tone of the writing, let alone the feel and color of each character is a bit of work. I used to read every single book, sometimes twice, take notes and sit to digest everything. Now that I'm nearing my 200th audiobook my session schedule stays packed and with time and efficiency as a concern I have a wonderful assistant who preps books for me. She reads, summarizes each chapter and the story arcs as well as gives full character descriptions (not to mention researches any pesky pronunciations). It's wonderful as I get a custom "Cliff's Notes" version of the story which I read and then dive in. Then I'm effectively well armed to tell the story in and let the characters come to life as intended. Aside form the technical aspects of narration and prep, it certainly takes a bit of "magic factor X" to really make it work. Is that something that is quantifiable? Do I even know what it is? I ain't tellin'.

> What was it like for you to step into this series three books in? Any hesitation or concerns? It's always tricky to take the reigns of a series somewhere in the middle. As a rule I do my best not to listen to any of the previous narration. I want to approach the characters and the world from a fresh perspective that is distinctly Sean Crisden. It's no secret by now how I like to weave a narrated story and the colors and hues that I like to use to paint the characters within the lines of the author's intent. I don't necessarily want to be influenced by the previous narrator(s) but there is always the concern of maintaining some level of continuity for the listeners. Of course, if you hire me you know that Crisden stank is going to now be all over it so that can be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on preference and if I have recently taken a shower.

> Are you a reader? If so, who is your favorite author or genre of books?Surprisingly (or maybe not) I read very infrequently for pleasure these days. Most of my time is spent in the booth narrating or voicing other projects. I get my fix for diving into a wonderful story through the narration actually. don't think for a second that I'm not enjoying the story just as much as the listener while I'm actually narrating. There's a feeling of detachment that happens during the sessions where I can pretty much sit back and listen while my gums are flappin'.

My fav author is a tough one and I suppose it would really depend on my mood. For genres, I read a good amount of non-fiction as I love to supplement my knowledge on various topics. I'm an easy sucker for well written fantasy, sci-fi and horror however. I obviously get my fill (pun intended) of romance and erotica through my narration so admittedly those titles are seldom selected for pleasure reading. > What do you do in your spare time when not locked up in a sound booth bringing life to so many great characters? Somehow I find the time to play guitar, train in Wing Chun kung fu and Krav Maga, hit the gym and play a fair amount of video games. I know, I'm like a big kid. I recently returned to an early hobby of mine which is writing, which has me excited. I'm working on some shorts as well as a novel so it pleases me immensely to have my own material to narrate in the near future. That's sort of full lifecycle production right there! Granted, I'm curious what people will think about the stories that come out of my own brain-parts. I have been known to be...a weirdo.

> What's next for you? In addition to narration, I always have a slew of video games and commercials in my queue as well as good ol' eLearning modules. I'm from Philadelphia, have now lived in Phoenix for the past 5 years and now I'm in the middle of a move to San Diego in a few weeks. That should keep me busy for bit. Of course, I plan on narrating for a good while. It's such an enjoyable process and it keeps me out of trouble, right? I mean, what harm could come from steamy romance and dashing adventure? > Where can fans find out more about your works, upcoming releases and perhaps, any CONS you'll be attending. There's always my website which is www.seancrisden.com. There is a blog there called The Creative Well which I post to from time to time. I must admit I've been a bit er...remiss in keeping it up to date. I should remedy that. Likewise I love interacting with fans on Facebook. Don't worry, I don't bite...unless you want me to.> Thank you for sharing with us Sean, can't wait to dive into my next Crisden voiced audio book! Until next time.... Sean: It has been my pleasure! Any chance I get to crawl out of the booth and see the light of day is always welcome.

Tams: *twists Crisden's arm behind his back and shoves him back into the booth. I NEED THAT NEXT AUDIO BOOK, LIKE NOW!* Wait, what...

See what I’ve been up to recently:Winner of two AudioFile Earphones AwardsNarrator of over 180 audiobooksPrimary voice talent and session director for the hit games "ShadowGun", "Kingdom Rush" and othersThe voice of "Magnus" for Sony's weekly "PlayStation Home Virtual Item Showcase"Narrator of the series "The Amateurs" on The Sportsman Channel

So, we are at the end of July and the end of our time with Sara York. Never fear, she is hard at work on that next book/series that will capture our hearts and leave us breathless; much like Jack, Andrew and dear, sweet Billy! I can't thank Sara York, Jason Frazier and Sean Crisden enough for agreeing to answer my questions and giving us all more insight into the writing and narrating that really brings the books we love to life!

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